This remarkable robot vacuum is half price at the moment - we've tested it
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If you thought of a robot vacuum cleaner that could vacuum, wet mop, self-refill, wash and dry at the same time as using the latest LiDAR and SLAM technology, you'd expect it to cost north of £1,000, right?
Well, here's one that does all that, but it only costs £800. And, excitingly, there's a deal on at the moment, so the robot vacuum is half price. So the entire package, including that clever mop-washing base station, costs £499.
It sounds a bit too good to be true, but I've been testing the new Hobot Leggee D8, and I have to say, it does a remarkable amount for the money. Even before the special offer.
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The robot vacuum on its own normally costs £599, and it's fair to say you get plenty of features to justify the price. It has 5,000pa of suction with anti-tangle technology, an array of sensors including LiDAR and SLAM, a reciprocating wet mop which can automatically lift out of the way, and even a compaction system that smashes up the dirt it collects so you don't have to empty it so often.
It even looks pretty smart, in its brilliant white with a funky blue ring around its cleverly-shaped frame.
Sold separately, for just £199, the "Lulu" base station is something of an essential accessory. Although the currently £299 Legee D8 will work fine without it, this base station charges the vacuum, and then washes, scrubs, and dries the mopping cloth. It will even refill the on board spray tank. It's really clever, and terrific value for money.
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It's this complete package I've been testing for several weeks, and it's been impressive. Its performance on carpets was surprisingly good, but the mopping system is probably its stand-out feature.
This makes it perfect for homes with large expanses of hard floors. It's not so clever in compact spaces, so cluttered areas aren't ideal - but this is true of many robots on the market.
The app is decent, and it links up quickly and easily. There are lots of settings and options, some of which you might not bother with, some of which are very useful.
Mapping can be a clunky affair and mine did "forget" its map and I had to recreate all my boundaries, which was irritating. I'd imagine this is a niggle that can be ironed out with a firmware update of some sort.
On the whole, though, there's a lot to like about the Legee D8 and its Lulu bedfellow. Battery life is excellent, build quality is top notch, and I love the compacting dustbin. It's a shame the Lulu base station can't empty that for you, but you can't ask for everything. Especially not from a £500 package.
And there's the rub. If you can catch the limited-time deal on Amazon and secure the Legee D8 and the Lulu base station for £499, you'll have arguably one of the best robot vacuum cleaners in its price point.
If you miss it, you'll not be disappointed in what will then be an £800 package, because it genuinely performs as well as devices costing a few hundred pounds more.